Machine for making spiral bags



Feb. 12, 1952 P. GARDNER MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL BAGS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1947 Feb. 12, 1952 GARDNER MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL BAGS 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1947 INVENTOR.

BY I W J. W

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Spiral Bagging Machine Corporation,

New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 2, 1947-, Serial No. 777,493

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for making bags with spirally disposed seams and has particular reference to improvements in the machine shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 2,406,677 issued to Gardner and Kagan, on August 8, 1946, and entitled Apparatus for Making Spiral Wound Tubing.

In the patented machine, the construction is such that bags may be made from sheeting as wide as forty inches and as narrow as 18 inches, but if bags from wider sheeting are to made then a bigger and separate machine must be built. In other words, machines of this type are adapted to make bags of any size but each size of machine is limited in the range of sheeting width which it can handle.

The present invention relates largely to the construction and operation of the mandrel of the patented machine and to certain improvements therein which will enable the user of the improved machine to make bags out of sheeting which may vary in width from 18 inches to as high as 80 inches. This one machine therefore containing the new improvements will enable the customer to make bags of any size now in demand without having to have more than one machine on hand and thus he is saved the great expense of additional machines.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

In the patented machine the mandrel was, within certain limits, caused to expand to take care of larger sheeting and this was achieved by causing the mandrel bars to expand radially from the center of the mandrel. However, it is apparent from a consideration of the construction of the frame which supports the mandrel and associated devices, that when the mandrel bars expand beyond a certain point to accommodate the mandrel for the passage of wide material, there is a physical limit beyond which the bars on one side of the mandrel may expand before meeting obstruction from the supporting framemembers. Also it is apparent that with a given frame as set forth in the patented construction, very wide sheeting as it passes under the mandrel on the first lap around it would encounter some of the frame members and the sewing of such wide sheeting would be impossible.

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-63) The invention therefore contemplates the expansion ofcertain of the mandrel bars but in a lateral direction away from the operators side of the mandrel so that the sheeting assumes a more or less fiat oval shape instead of a round circular shape' in passing around the mandrel and the expansion of these bars to accommodate wider sheeting takes place in a substantially horizontal direction away from the operators or sewing position so that no matter how wide the sheeting is, it passes the same sewing point, the sewing position is the same for all widths, and the sheeting, however wide, clears all the under frame elements so that the same frame and machine, except for the mandrel construction may be employed.

In this invention, as well as in the former machine, the sewn material as it passes off the mandrel is kept open and guided to the windup device by means of a spreader device having fingers or arms which are rotatably disposed on a shaft connected to the end of the'mandrel frame. It is obvious that for the best effect in spreading and guiding the spirally rotating sewn bag as it comes oiT the mandrel, the axis of this shaft should be approximately central with the center of the tube which is being formed on the mandrel. It is also obvious that, when the size of the tube increases and the center thereof, in accordance with the herein invention, shifts laterally, it is necessary to shift the shaft supporting the spreader fingers or arms so that they will therefore continue to most effectively spread and guide the sewn tube from the mandrel on to the wind-up mechanism. It is therefore provided that the shaft and spreader elements are supported on a bracket plate which is connected to a bar extending across the front end of the frame of the mandrel, and this bracket is related to a series of positions or notches or holes on the bar definitely located with respect to the actual center of the various tubes of flat ovate form and corresponding to the sheets of various widths which are being sewn into tubing and passing around the mandrel.

Further it is obvious that as the axis of the mandrel tube and the shaft of the spreader element are shifted to conform to each other, the wind-up device should also be shifted. This wind-up device is the same as shown in the patent above mentioned but is mounted on tracks with rollers or the like so that it may be correspondingly shifted as these other elements in the device are shifted as above set forth and for the same purpose, namely, to insure a smooth-run- 1 ning of the material, the even efficient guiding of it to the wind-up device, and the regular winding of the material upon the receiving roller on the Wind-up mechanism.

Therefore we have provided means to shift the mandrel bars laterally on one side thereof or so arrange them that the expansion of the tubular form is laterally in somewhat of an extended flat ovate shape to enable the machine to handle sheet widths of greatly varying dimensions Without interfering with the regular frame supports, without having to shift the sewing point and operators position. We have provided means readily to shift the spreader elements in correspondence with the shift in the center of the tubular mandrel, and means to as readily shift the wind-up device to accord with the shift of the centers of the two devices just mentioned. Therefore there is a smooth and harmonious running of the material through the machine whether the material is of small width or of much greater width.

The present preferred forms which the invention may assume are illustrated in the drawings, of which,

Fig. l is a plan view of the apparatus with the parts arranged for the sewing of sheeting in the intermediate range of widths;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the spreader element and the wind-up device with the latter mounted on rails for lateral shifting;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the means for changing the disposition of the mandrel bars to accommodate the mandrel for sheeting of various Widths;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus with the mandrel bars arranged to accommodate the larger range of widths of sheeting;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross section through the mandrel frame showing how the smaller widths of sheeting are accommodated. thereon; and,

Fig. 8 is a detail of the manner in which the spreader device may be shifted to aline its center with that of the tube being sewn on the mandrel.

In this application, the mandrel position isshown at A, the spreader device at B, the windup device at C. The mandrel comprises spaced parallel frame bars I0 and I I connected at their ends and supported by any suitable means such as the supporting frame elements or legs [2 which are. positioned beneath the mandrel similarly to the manner and position shown in the patent above mentioned. This forms the basis of the mandrel and is in the form of a rectangular frame'rigidly supported from the floor. It is associated with a table l3 at one end at one side over which the material or sheeting is fed in a direction at a desired angle to the axis of the mandrel. This feed table is the same as in the patent. The feeding means, the sewing de-- vice, and the devices for continuing the material passage along the mandrel are not shown since they are the same as formerly disclosed in the patent and form no part of the invention. However, the sewing point is shown in Fig. 1 at l4 7 where the material advancing on to the mandrel screws [6 pivoted to plate I! at one end and loosely connected at their other ends to similar rods and tubes I8 telescopically related by set screws l9 and connected at their other ends to a collar 20 fixed by set screw 2! to a shaft 22 rotatably supported on a bracket member 23. Thus the desired adjustment of the various rods and tubes, the spread of the fingers 15- may be adjusted properly with respect to the diameter of the tube being formed, regardless of how small or large it is, within the limits of the machine, which limit is generally from material widths of 18 inches up to inches.

The bracket 23. is adapted to be positioned along the. crossbar 25 which is attached by bolts 25' to the end of the mandrel and with relation to a series of holes 24 therein. The bracket has a flange 24' perforated to receive bolts 23 passing therethrough into the holes 24, or they may be screws as the case may be. This simple arrangement permits the shaftv 22 of the spreader device to be disposed laterally in any adjustable manner so as to be adjusted in line with the center of the tube being formed which center will vary with the size of the sheeting being employed.

In order to keep the wound-up roll and the wind-up mechanism also in substantial alinement with the center of the tube being formed as above mentioned, the wind-up device, which is in other respects substantially the same as in the patent mentioned, is provided on its bottom with a set of rollers 26 on its four corners which are adapted to be associated with transversely disposed rails 21 so that the whole wind-up device may be. laterally shifted by hand or any other suitable means to aline it with the shifted center I of the tube as the size of the material being formed into a tube varies.

Now in order to enable sheetings of various widths from 18 inches to 80 inches to be handled and, sewn into tubes on the one machine without. redesigning the same, as would be the case with the machine construction of the patent above mentioned, there has been provided in association with the mandrel frame bars l9 and H a series of rods running parallel to them and disposed at different levels with respect to the top of the mandrel frame. These rods are both fixed and movable as will be seen. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, there is dependent from the rear end of the mandrel frame abracket plate 28 to the opposite ends of the lower end of which are pivoted arms 29 and these in turn. are pivoted to arms 30 pivotally connected to a movable bar 3| having a threaded bore through which travels a threaded shaft 32 which is supported intermediate its ends by another bracketv member. 33 fastened to a frame plate 34 of the machine.

The upper end of thisv shaft. passes. through the:

plate 34 and has a handle 35 whereby the shaft 32 is turned to raise and lower the. bar 3|, which movement will increase or decrease the angle of the arms 29 with respect to the horizontal. To the ends of these arms 29 where they join thearms 30 are connected the rods 36 which extend at a desired level alongside of and parallel to the main mandrel frame plates or bars l0 and H as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Over these rods 3'6 the materialor sheeting in certain conditions and situations is to pass as will be explained. Other rods such as 37 running in a direction similar to the rods 36 but at different levels are fixedly connected to the sidesof the mandrel bar H] by means of fixed rods or connectors 38;

5, These other rods permit the provision of a variety of paths for the sheeting passing around the mandrel of different shape and circumferential length so that sheetings within the upper and lower limits above set forth may be accommodated on the one machine.

In considering the manner in which the various material paths thus mentioned are provided, reference to Fig. 7 indicates the path provided for sheeting up to 18 inches in width. It is to be noted that in this instance the material is wrapped or lapped around the mandrel bars Ill and II without the employment of other rods or bars. In this case the finger shaft 22 is centered adjustably in line with the center line between the two bars l and H by being associated with the proper notch or hole in the cross plate 25 and fixed therein.

For material widths from 18 inches up to about 40 inches the arrangement of rods shown in Fig. 4 is employed. In this case the adjustable rods 36 and the two mandrel bars iii and H are employed. It is clear that the substantially wide flat ovate tube thus formed is of larger circumference than the one employed in Fig. 7 but its center is about the same as before and the spreader finger shaft 22 need not be shifted from its previously mentioned position. In this case also it is noted that both rods 36 are employed and the rods may be adjusted exactly in accordance with the specific width of material being handled by the machine, this being accomplished by turning the handle 35 in one direction or the other.

For the larger widths of material ranging from 40 inches up to.80 inches, the arrangement of rods is as shown in Fig. 6 where it is seen that the extra rods 3'! are employed in conjunction with the right hand rod 36 and the leftliand mandrel bar II. This gives a tube of much greater circumference than the others and it is seen that its center is shifted to the right quite a distance from the center line between the bars l0 and II. This shift necessitates that the spreader finger shaft be shifted to another hole in conformity with the new center line and that also the center line of the wind-up device be also shifted by moving it laterally on the rails 21 as desired. It is obvious that if even wider material is to be employed, it is merely a matter of adding longer connectors 38 to extend the rods 31 further out away from the mandrel. Ho. ever. it is to be observed and noted that this shift is always away from the sewing position and laterally to the right as viewed in Fig. 6 with the center line in a vertical plane varying very little while the center line of the tube in a horizontal plane varies considerably and always to one side of the median line of the main mandrel frame bars I!) and II. Thus the operators position need not be changed; the sewing position remains constant; and the under lays of the material passing under the mandrel do not in any Way meet obstructions from the supporting elements which would prevent smooth and uninterrupted operation. Therefore the herein device enables a buyer to purchase one machine of this type and handle material varying in width from the smallest to the greatest generally encountered in commercial practice.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form which the invention may assume, it is not to be limited to such details and form since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a mandrel comprising a plurality of parallel elements over which material is adapted to pass to form a tube, a sewing means on one side of said elements, means to adjust at least one of said elements laterally in a substantially horizontal direction.

to shift the center of the tube and to increase its circumference without substantially lowering the center thereof, a tube spreader device on the end of the mandrel normally in line with the axis of the tube, and laterally adjustable means to adjust the spreader device on the end of the mandrel to aline it will the axis of the tube as the position of the center of the tube is changed.

2. In a device of the class described, a mandrel comprising a plurality of parallel elements over which material is adapted to pass to form a tube, a sewing means on one side of said elements, means to adjust at least one of said elements laterally in a substantially horizontal direction to shift the center of the tube and to increase its circumference without substantially lowering the center thereof, a tube spreader device on the end of the mandrel normally in line with the axis of the tube, means laterally shiftable toadjust the spreader device on the end of the mandrel to aline it will the axis of the tube as the position of the center of the tube varies, a wind-up device disposed in alinement beyond the spreader device, and means to adjust the wind-up device laterally to aline it with the axis of the tube as said axis varies.

3. In a device of the class described, a mandrel, a spreader device on the end of the mandrel and normally disposed in line with the axis of the tube being formed thereon, a cross plate on the mandrel with spaced openings, and means on the spreader device to engage in selected openings to hold the spreader device in selected lateral positions in line with the axis of the tube as the axis thereof is varied.

l. In a device of the class described, a mandrel over which a web or sheet of material is spirally drawn, said mandrel comprising a plurality of parallel elements, at least one of said elements being fixed, and means laterally adjusting at least one of said elements, a source of supply of material being positioned at one side of said mandrel, the mandrel elements at the side opposite the source of supply being positioned at a distance from the fixed element greater than the distance from the fixed element to any. element on the same side of the mandrel as the source of supply.

PERCY GARDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,553 Ehst et al Jan. 26, 1892 898,167 Avery Sept. 8, 1908 1,838,704 Potdeirn Dec. 29, 1931 1,945,981 Quinby Feb. 6, 1934 2,406,677 Gardner et al Aug. 27, 1946 

